The World is Flat

Comments by various faculty members and advisory board members.

March 2006

Several members of the Marriott School faculty and eBusiness Center Advisory Board share insights on The World Is Flat

Discussion on “The World is Flat A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century"

The follow are notes on the review of the book at the Fall 2005 eBusiness Center Advisory Board Meeting at BYU:

• Dr. Brooke Derr, Global Management Center, mentioned that the action is now starting in India and China and that we need to focus on those nations in the future. New software processes allow for a horizontal playing field, and that the U.S. can miss the boat by focusing only on terrorism and not on business. A question brought up by Dr. Derr was whether or not India or Chinese professionals will dominate and if the U.S. has lost the edge. Also he brought up an India school of business was a good idea and that eventually there will be an India school of technology. He also mentioned that poverty needed to be addressed and also the need for graduating students and business professionals need to speak more than one language.
  
• Dr. Steve Liddle, center director, mentioned Moore’s law and Metcalfe’s law network effect. He also mentioned the need for as much education as possible and that our children are living significantly better lives than we are.
  
• Brad Oates, advisory board member, mentioned that we have been living the World is Flat for five years already. Society is moving to a service based business as work becomes more automated. Along with the world is flat concept will be bumps such as the avian flu.
  
• Richard Dance, advisory board member, talked about that the flow of information may have removed physical barriers but poverty still keeps the world from truly being flat. He mentioned that many are making more money, however at the expense of those who gave them the way to make it. The gap between the millionaire the worker is growing. He mentioned the need to teach our children to learn to work, and that excellence takes a long time, unlike a TV show. People in America are not willing to pay the price. People need to finish their homework because others are finishing faster.

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